The WTA Cleveland final is not what fans expected at the week’s start. Former French Open semifinalist Beatriz Haddad Maia, the No. 1 seed in Ohio, is set to face the wild card, McCartney Kessler. The American will make her first WTA Tour final appearance, while Haddad Maia hopes to secure her fourth WTA singles title. As always, we at LWOT give our prediction and analysis for the final. But which player do you think will win the title?
WTA Cleveland Final Prediction
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs McCartney Kessler
Head-to-head: First meeting
Kessler’s route to the final has been the more difficult. Her only straight-sets victory was in the quarterfinal against Arantxa Rus. She overcame Katrina Scott, Wang Xinyu, and Anastasia Potapova in a deciding set. Kessler’s semifinal triumph against Potapova was particularly impressive since the Russian had been very dominant in her three wins heading into the match. Haddad Maia’s only three-set match was her 6-3 2-6 6-2 victory in the semifinal against Katerina Siniakova, who ran out of steam after playing three long matches to reach that stage.
The home favorite, Kessler, must be the aggressor at every opportunity to cause an upset. She benefited from the usually solid Potapova falling apart somewhat after winning the first set of their semifinal. It is doubtful that a player of Haddad Maia’s class will fall away as Potapova did. The Brazilian also has experience in finals on her side, which is often a pivotal factor in these contests.
Kessler cannot be ruled out after her fairytale run, but this is a tough matchup for her. Haddad Maia sometimes struggles against flat and hard shots into her left-handed forehand. However, Kessler is better suited to attacking opponents with her right-handed cross-court forehand, as she did against Potapova. Haddad Maia’s flat backend can handle that better.
The Brazilian’s second serve is the other attackable part of her game, but Kessler usually aims for good depth rather than winners off second serves. She must go outside her comfort zone and be aggressive against second serves since consistently out-rallying Haddad Maia would be too challenging over three sets. Overall, Haddad Maia’s class, experience, and playing style will likely prove too much for Kessler.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
